Hydropneumatic controller for water systems



1,628,265' May l0 1927. G' MUFFLY HYDROPNEUMATIC CONTROLLER FORA WATER SYSTEMS 'Original FiledSept. 25. 1922 y ,/-v A? LT.- @WS04 b" Patented May 10, 1927.

GLENN MUFFLY, 0F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO.

HYDROPNEUMATIG -CONTROLLER FOR WATER SYSTEMS.

Application filed September 25, 1922, Serial No. 590,449. Renewed October 14, 1926.

This invention relates to Water supply systems involving pneumatic pressure storage reservoirs, and more especially to automatic controlling -and regulating means therefor, in Which respects it dillers from' my copending application, Serial No. 570,069, tiled June 22, 1922. i

V'lhe main objects of the invention are to "provide in a pump operatedV underground storage supply system ofthe character described, improved means to control the tank pressure and Water level; to provide forr tion is shown in the' accompanyingdraw-` ings, in Whichlligure l is a diagrammatic vieu7 oi the system showing the essential relation et the parts.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged view ot the mercury control unit, showing its essential operating features rather than its specific details of construction.

Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically how a motor tor operating the pump i'uay be started and stopped by `automatic switch control. l

Referring to Fig. l, the pump rod a is actuated through the gear a and pinion a2 by gasoline engine ai* or other. suitable source of power. The rod a extends downward through the stutliug box ai* and drop pipe Z) and serves to actuate the plunger b in the cylinder 253, Which is of the usual construction l'or such devices, with a check valve e in the plunger and another check yu in the bottom ot said cylinder.

Water raised by plunger b passes through check valve 2) and pipes bt and b5 to the storage tank c. is the Water level rises'in the tank c airl is compressed in the upper vthrough the Water to the top part of tank c.

part thereof, and this compressed air serves to force Water back up through pipe b5 to the Water main be and throughout the dis-' -tribution pipes (not shown) connected therewith.V l

An air pipe Z enters the tank c at the top c andextends nearly to the bottom c2. Outside of the tank said pipe cl connects With the top of the float chamber d', Fig. 2, which is partially lilled with mercury m. The float d2 is normally lifted by the buoyancy of the mercury to close the needle valve cl3. Then air is admitted through said needle valve da, theair passes through the float chamber CZ and down through pipe 'd to bubble up This action lills the pipe d With air, which is maintained under compression by the air pressure in the top of tank c and by the head loli Water represented by the distance d'1. from lower end of in said tank.

The air pipe e connects the top of tank e pipe d tothe level of the Water with the top of gauge glass e", Fig. 2, which glass is connected at its lower end With fthe ioat chamber' CZ. The air pressure on the surfaceot the mercury in the gauge glass'e is the same as the air pressure intank c, While ythe air pressure acting upon the surtace of the mercury in the float'- ehamberd is yequal to the same Aair `pressure plus the head oit Water represented by the height d4',

y as shown in Fig. l. The mercury in gauge glass e will therefore stand enough higher than the mercury in float chamber CZ to balance the height tot Water above the lower S end of pipe olf The height et mercury in the gauge glass e Will therefore show on a properly graduated scale e3, as shown on the right hand side, see Fig. 2, the height of Water in tank o. On another scaleof graduations, et as shown on theleft hand side ot glass c', We see what the air 'pressure shoiild be in tank c tor that Waterlevel. By making the area of the float chamber' d quite large in proportion to the area-of the gauge glass 95 e the fluctuation of mercury'level inthe float chamber is reduced to a negligible amount, softar as it affects the accuracy of readings for Water level in the gauge glass e', and the graduation intervals may be substantially uniform.

ln order to provide means for indicating the air pressure in tanlr c an additional gauge glp/ss is provided connect-ing through passage y' With gauge lass e and float chamber al. She volume oit mercury in this gauge is negligible relative to that in chamber d. Starting .vith the mercury at a common level in all three columns, any subsequent rise ot' mercury Within gauge glass f will compress the normal atmosphere thus trapped, for the gauge glass is mounted With an air-tight gasket cc medion7 and is closed at the top. By providing suitable graduations the height et mercury in the gauge glass ,t is made to indicate the air pressure in tank c. The gan e glass is relatively small coinpared v: h gauge glass cf, so that tiuctuations ot mercury level in glass Will not materially aliiect the level ot mercury in glass c. Tae slight additional pressure created in glass by a rise ot mercury in glass c may be neglected, it can only amount to a pound or two per square inch.

Valve e is )rovi/ded for convenience in disassembly and to avoid the spilling ot mercury. lily opening this valve the pressure will be equalized between the lloat chamber (,Z and the gauge glass e. Pipe e is next disconnected, allowing air to eXw haust from tanlr c and then other connections may be broken Without danger ot blowing mercury out of the case gf or of -forcing Water up through pipe CZ.

Battery g furnishes ignition current for the engine a3. llfhe course ot the current during the operation of the engine is from one pole ot the battery to contact g, thence to contact g2, thence through the primary Winding g3 to the spring gt of the timer, and through cam g5 to ground, thus returning to the opposite pole ot said battery. rl`he seconda-ry current induced in the coil 37 by the primary current in coil g3 jumps the gap in the spark plug g7 to ground and returns through the battery and contacts g and g2 to the opposite end ot secondary Winding g.

l/Vhen sutlicient Water has been pumped into tank c to raise the level ot the Water, and so compress the air until the mercury in the gauge glass contacts with the electrode g3, a connection is thereby made with the grounded metal case l(79 through the medium ot the mercury, thus closing a: circuit as follows 2-trom battery g through ground to the mercury in case go, thence to electrode g8, thence to magnet Winding glo, thence to armature gm, thence to contact g and thence to the opposite pole ot said battery, thus completing the circuit Which energizes the magnet core g and pulls the armature i2 2. 2 g aivay liom contacts g and g. The

breaking ot these said contacts at g and g opens both battery circuits` stopping the engine and taking all load oil ot' the battery. rThe armature (/12 then rests against magnet core g and said circuits remain open until armature g1g is manually moved to re-establish contacts at g and g2 preparatory to starting the engine.

YVarious devices and circuits may be arranged to accomplish the desired result ot stopping the pump when the rater reaches the desired level in the tank. lt might :for instance be desired to actuate an electrical switch tor stopping and starting an electric motor, or to actuate a. regulating device to stop and start a Windmill, though as such devices are not specifically claimed herein they are not shown in the drawings. Any such result may be accomplished by means ot suitable relays and electrodes located Within one or more ot the gauge glasses ot' the float chamber. For instance, an insulated electrode introduced through the top of the float chamber CZ might make Contact with the rising mercury when water level in tank c falls7 and a similar electrode introduced through the top o'r gauge glass c might malte contact with the rising niercury When the Water level rises. rlhis is shown by Fig. 3 .vherein the chamber al is provided with an electrode ci and the gage glass e is provided with an electrode c'l. These electrodes may be adjustable to close contact with the mercury at predetermined heights respectively. One oi these electrodes e5 is connected by lead el to solenoid es and the other e6 by lead e9 to solenoid elo. These solenoids e5 and e act on the plunger magnet n to close and open the switch s which in turn controls the pump motor M. lt would also be possible by means ot' tivo or more electrodes properly located to term ungrounded circuits assuming that case gg is not grounded on the engine or other electrical ground. Should magneto ignition be used on engine u? the ground Wire from the magneto might be connected directly to electrode fr, thus grounding the magneto and stopping the engine at the desired point Without the ot' the relay circuit shovvn in the drawing. The armature Q12 as shoivn diagrammatically will be otl suitable type with Well known mechanical details tor accomplishing the desired results; for instance armature gm may be equipped with a spring action to snap it over the dead center position otl a toggzjle movement and the points g and g maybe arranged on springs to follow the armaturel as lar as the dead center position. thus maintaining the electrical contacts and hence the magnetic pull upon the armature until the spring action breaks the contacts.

rlhe air pump it is here shown with the piston lz. driven by means oi' rod c. and

bracket 7i?. Air is taken'inthrough check valve h3 onl the up stroke of piston it and forced out through check valve hf* and h5 on the down stroke. This air vis compressed in pipe h5 and chamber It to a maximumpressure not exceeding the-theoretical compression of pump zA as established by the ratio of piston displacement to clearance space. Vhen this point of compression is reached in pipe 72.5 and chamber 71.6 the piston Vt will compress and expand the same charge of air without pumping more air through check valve hr1. It is thus arranged that a pressure in excess of tank pressure is maintained in pipe h5 and chamber its so long as needle valve d3 remains closed.

In the event that the water level in tank c rises above the normal highl level point, while air pressure remains below the shutoff point where mercury contacts with the electrode g8 the mercury level in float chamber d will fall due to the rise of mercury in gauge glass c This causes iioat @Z2 to fall, thereby opening the needle valve d and admitting air from chamber 71,, pipe 11.5 and pump hf to the float member el', from whence it is conducted through pipe d to tank c, where it bubbles up through the water to the top or' the tank, restoring the desired air pressure in the tank. Normally the air in the tank is not drawn ofi', in the sense that applies to the water, but is gradually lost by absorption in the water and possibly by leakage. From this tendency the result would be a water-logged condition of the tank, withthe water level too high in relation to the air pressure. By the means above described I have provided for supplying additional air to the tank whenever the water level rises above vsome predetermined point, so long as the air pressure remains below the shut-oit point. When the air pressure has been restored to normal in tank c the column of mercury in-gauge glass f will rise to contact with the electrode g8 and stop the pump. No harm is done if the needle valve cl3 remains open after the pump is stopped, -for check valve 71;* will retain the air pressure in the tank.

A by-pass valve d5 is provided to connect t-he pipes d and h5 whenever it is desired to charge the tank c with air directly, as when it is installed or after it has been emptied for cleaning or for repairs. The valve Z5 is then closed and thus remains normally so as to render the float (Z2 effective.

The needle valve d3 is arranged to open shortly before the desired water level is reached and will thereafter automatically regulate the maximum height of water in tank c to a point slightly above the level at which the needle valve d3 opens.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details of the constructionshown `maybe altered or tank adjacent to its top, a pipe connecting with said tank adjacent to its bottom, means for supplying air under pressure to the second of said pipes and pressure responsive means controlled by the difference in pressure between said pipes for regulating the supply of air for said tank.

3. A hydro-pneumatic storage tank, a pipe connecting with the air space which is provided for in the top of said tank, a pipe connecting with said tank adjacent to its bottom, means to supply compressed air to said tank through the latter pipe and means actuated by the ditference in pressure between the two said pipes for controlling the supply of air to said tank through the said pipe to the bottom of the tank.

4. In combination a hydro-pneumatic storage tank, a gauge located outside of said tank and connected thereto pneumatically for the purpose of indicating the pneumatic pressure within said tank, achamber within said gauge closed gas-tight at its top, a column of liquid forced upward within said chamber under the infiuence of pneumatic. pressure within said tank, a quantity of gas trapped within said chamber by the rising column of liquid, and an electric switch actuated by the movement of said column of liquid Jfor the purpose of controlling the sup.,- ply of liquid to said tank.

5. In a water supply system, in combination, a hydro-pneumatic storage tank, and a controlling instrument in which are combined means for `indicating the level of water within said tank, means for indicating the pneumatic pressure within said tank, means for controlling the supply of air to said tank, and means for controlling the supply o water to said tank.

6. In a water supply system, a hydro-pneumatic storage tank, an instrument pneumatically connected vwith said tank, in which instrument are combined means for indicating the level of water in said tank, means for indicating the fluid pressure within said tank, and means for controlling the operation of said system. y

7. In a water supply system, a pump, a hydro-pneumatic storage tank, and a controller comprising a gas-tight chamber, a

column of liquid forced upward Within said chamber by fluid pressure, a quantity of gas trapped Within said chamber by said column of liquid, and means actuated by the movement of Said column of liquid for controlling the source of power for said pump.

8. In a Water supply system, a hydro-pneumatic storage tank, a pneumatically connected instrument actuated by the changing of 10 Water level in said tank, and means actuated by said instrument for the regulation of air supply to said tank.

Signed at Chicago this 19 day of Sept.,

GLENN MUFFLY. 

